Wire-bound book



Patented Aug. 18, 1936 units, SM

Aren't cries WIRE-BOUND BOOK Appiication June 17,

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in books of paper padconstruction of the type in which a coiled wire is loosely threadedthrough spaced holes in the binding margin of the paper, and hasparticular reference to such constructions in which several such wirebound pads are interconnected into one composite book or pad.

In a previous application for patent, Serial No. 4,109, filed January3:), 1935, I have described a composite construction of this type inwhich the helical wire bindings of the superposed pads wereinterconnected by wire rods extending through the common space formed bythe interfitted wire helices. I have now found that certain advantagescan be obtained by eliminating the wire rods and substituting therefor aflexible cord or string which is preferably continuous throughout thesuccessive overlapped helices and which is preferably securedpermanently to the outside cover boards in which the sheets are held. Insome instances it has been found that the rigidity of a wire rod isdetrimental in that it will not permit suflici'ent separation of thesections to afford complete and ready opening of the composite book.This is particularly noticeable when the several sections of the book orpad are individually provided with relatively stiif covers. It has alsobeen found that the flexible cord or string can be applied to the stackof sections much more rapidly than could a series of wire rods. Thisleads to various economies of manufacture which will be considered morein detail below. Additional advantages of the invention will ap pearfrom the following description and claims.

Referring to the drawing- Fig. 1 shows a composite book constructed inaccordance with my invention, the view being taken from the back of thebook with the covers open;

Fig. 2 shows a detail end View of the book opened at its middle; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective detail showing the way the book may be mountedin a permanent cover.

The drawing shows a construction of composite book in which severalsections It are each provided with individual wire helices i I whichpass in the known manner through holes in the paper stacks. The problemin the present case is concerned, as was the case in my priorapplication, with the securing together of the several sections by somemeans engaging the helices and binding them together with sufiicientflexibility to permit the composite book to be opened and closed and tolie flat when opened. Instead of using a. plurality of rigid wire rods,individually 1935, Serial No. 26,940

securing adjacent helices together, the entire series of helices are inthis case laced together by a single flexible strand [2 interlaced backand forth along the lengths of the helices as will be apparent from Fig.l. The ends of the strand are 5 drawn as tight as may be desired for theparticular type of book which is being made, and are preferably anchoredin place by being adhesively secured underneath straps it stuck to thecover boards I l. These cover boards are provided with 0 holes I5through which the outermost helices pass, and may if desired be securedto an outside permanent cover it. If the outside cover be used it ispreferable to permit the cover boards to overhang the hinge line of theouter cover 15 enough to permit the holes E5 to clear it, as is shown inFig. 3. This makes a very free mounting for the wire helices and permitsthe book to be opened flat.

The construction described permits the use of a large number of sectionswithout'materialiy increasing the bulk of the binding. It will beapparent that the strand i2 can be laced through the interfittinghelices by some means such as a needle very rapidly and without thenecessity for 2.3 providing any securing means for preventing individualruns of the strand from coming loose. The sections of the strand passingfrom one pair of helices to the next will effectively prevent the strandcoming loose, and will avoid any 30 danger of endwise movement betweenthe sets of helices, just as well as a bent-over end or other securingmeans which is necessary on each end of each run where a wire rod isused as in my prior application. It will furthermore be seen 35 that theuse of a single strand permits the tightness of the composite structureto be regulated at will by drawing up tighter on the ends of the strand,whereas the use of a plurality of separate rods as in my priorapplication made it necessary 40 to bend over the two ends of each rodseparately with sufiicient care to prevent endwise play of the rodwithout undue tightness. A still further advantage of the flexiblestrand as against a wire rod is that the strand can flex between the ad-45 jacent turns of the helices to present a somewhat serpentineformation, giving a degree of separability possible to the separatehelices much greater than would be possible with the more rigid memberdescribed in the previous case. One ad- 50 ditional feature which thisconstruction possesses is that it provides an automatic equalization ofthe tension in the several sections, the strand being continuous andtherefore responding to an excess of tension in one section by a slightshift- 55 ing in its position. The netresult is that the books made witha continuous strand have proved to be more uniformin quality and moreflexible in use, and these results are accom- V plished at a greatlyreduced cost.

The strand may be made of any desired material sufficiently flexible tobe interlaced through the several helices and yet sufficiently strong tostand the flexing and wear to which the strand is subjected.

I have found that an ordinary fibrous cord serves the purpose very well.Incertain conditionsit may be found desirable to use a braided strand orone 'made of flexible wire, the wire in the "latter case beingnecessarily of a much greaterflexibility than where the sections are tobe secured together by the former indi vidual rod method. Othermodifications in the structure may be made as required by the exigenciesof the particular use.

I claim: a a r V 1. Arelatively thick pad construction comprising aseries or assembled thin pad constructions of the type having its sheetsbound by a helically coiled Wire threaded through its binding margin,said thin pads being assembled by nesting the binding coils together andlacing them into a composite structure by 'a flexible strand passing 7back and forth between each adjacent set of binding coils. 7

21A relatively thick pad construction compris ing a series of assembledthin pad constructions of the type having its sheets bound by a.helically coiled wire threaded through its binding margin,

' said thin pads being" assembled by nestingthe binding coils togetherand lacing them into a composite structure by a flexible strand passingback and forth between each adjacent set of binding coils and the endsof, the strand being secured in place relatively to the outermostbinding coils. j V V '3. A relatively'thickpad construction com--prising a series or" assembled thin p'ad constructions of thetype'having' its sheets bound byla' V helically coiled wire threadedthrough the binding margin of'the individual sheets, and in the case ofat leastthe' outermost pads through the 7 binding margin of a coverboard, said thin pads being assembled by nesting the binding coilstoget-her and lacingthem intoa composite structure by a flexible'strandpassing'back and forth between each adjacent set of binding coils andthe ends of the strand being secured in place by 1 fastening them to theopposed outermost cover boards. 7

4. A relatively thick pad construction comprising a series of assembledthin pad constructions of the type having its sheets bound-by ahelically V coiled wire threaded through the binding margin of theindividual sheets; and in the case of at least the outermost padsthrough the binding margin of'a cover board, said thin pads being'assembled by nesting the binding coils together and lacing them into acomposite structure by a flexible strand passing back and forth betweeneach adjacent set of binding coils and the ends of the strand beingsecured in place by fastening them to the outer surfacesof the outermostcover boards, and an outer cover secured over said covertboards to bindthe'whole into book-like form and to conceal said'ends of the strand. 5.An interlocking binding comprising'a' plurality of spiral coiled boundbundles "of sheets 7 having their coils interfitting and bound together.

by a flexible strand interlaced back and .forth between the interfittingparts'of the coils in a) continuous length and having its ends' securedrelatively to the outermost of the coils.

6. A book binding construction comprising a channel-shaped back portion,two covers'hinged thereto, a stiff sheet pasted on the inside face ofeach cover with its inner edge slightlyoverhanging the channel of theback portion, a plurality of spiral coiled bound bundles ofsheets'having their coils interfitting and bound together by a by acontinuous string interlaced back and forth between the interfi tting'parts of the coils, cover sheets one at .eachjouter face of theassembled bundles, each end of said string being'laid against itsadjacent cover sheet and binding strips pasted over said string ends andto the cover sheets to form anchorages for the two string ends- FRANKSTANLEY SCHA'DE.

